• by Christine Bittar , December 11, 2006

L'Oreal's Maybelline will extend its Garnier brand from hair care into skin care in the U.S., with the launch of a 15-product facial care line, Garnier Nutritioniste, expected to hit store shelves early next year. The products are already available in Europe.

This expansion marks the brand's first foray outside of hair care in the U.S., and is also its first major new category entry since Maybelline launched Garnier Fructis shampoos and conditioners in 2003. Prior to that, Garnier sold only hair color in the U.S.

Garnier Nutritioniste will compete with such stalwarts in the mass skin care arena as Procter & Gamble's Olay, Johnson & Johnson's Neutrogena and some lines of parent L'Oreal.

L'Oreal has always intended for Maybelline to take Garnier from niche to master brand status, with product offerings eventually in many categories, similar to the way Unilever parlayed Dove from soap to deodorant to hair care.

This looks to be the first major step, especially with a 15-SKU launch--which is considered large for a new skin care entry. The line will be positioned as combining nutrients and dermatology. This is similar to how Garnier's Nutrisse hair color uses TV spots featuring Sarah Jessica Parker talking up the beautiful and healthy results she gets from the avocado and grape seed oil contained in the hair dye.

Although Nutritioniste products will be a first for U.S. customers, Maybelline has already introduced the line overseas in the U.K., Italy, France, and Spain.

Maybelline will launch three different Nutritioniste skin sub-segments: cleansing, firming, and cell regeneration. Products will retail for $5.99 to $16.99. Nutritioniste Nutri-Pure is the cleansing line with a Detoxifying Cream cleanser, a Gel Cleanser, a Moisturizing Cream Scrub and Wet Cleansing Towelettes.

Ultra-Lift is the specialty firming line, targeting an over-40 demographic. Those products include a Firming Serum, Firming Eye Cream, Anti-Wrinkle Moisture Cream and others, with ingredients including omega-3, omega-6 and rice proteins.

The most seemingly advanced products come under the Skin Renew sub-segment, with ingredients such as Vitamin C and lycopene (an antioxidant found in tomatoes, which is also included in some multi-vitamin formulas). Skin-renewing SKUs include moisture cream and a regenerating serum, a lotion with SPF 15, and even a home microdermabrasion kit, called Regenerating Micro-Polish Kit.